The Memory Configuration
by HaleyMichelle18
Summary: Spoilers for 7x06! After that episode, how could I not attempt a Leonard/Penny oneshot?


**I should be writing for one of my other two stories, but after finally getting to watch last night's episode this morning, I just can't! I had to write a oneshot of this, even though I'm sure it will be done quite a bit, by several people, I'm sure everyone will be amazing, considering it's Lenny! **

**Anyway, enjoy!**

Jamming her key into the lock and turning the knob, Penny entered her apartment, slinging her purse to one side, not caring where it landed. As soon as the door closed, her back connected with it. Work had sucked. Her audition earlier that morning had sucked. Sometimes her_ life_ in general just sucked. After three years, she really thought she'd be further along than this, already hitting her 'big break' in her acting career. Maybe she needed to rethink her career path. _Nah, what I really just need is a bubble bath and a glass, or two or three, of wine, _she thought, shaking her head and taking a step forward.

A gasp escaped past her lips as her foot slipped, her hand reaching back for the door knob to steady herself. Lifting her foot and staring down, Penny noticed a thick envelope on the ground, the reason for her near fall. Her name was printed across the front in black ink and Leonard's scratchy handwriting. Bending at the waist to pick it up, she wondered what exactly was inside, and how he possibly slid it under her door, judging by the size.

Penny tore open the envelope, curious to see the contents. Her brows furrowed and a frown appeared on her face as she fingered the pages. Counting, her frown deepened. _Eleven pages? _Her eyes began to scan the words typed in front of her. Her frown slowly began to transform to a shy smile as she realized what this was. "A thank you letter for sex?" she said aloud to herself. She continued to read his words, which mentioned the words "awkward" and "just fine" very little thankfully. Leonard had instead chose to focus on their second attempt at sex and focus on her as well, with words like "beautiful", "amazing", and "unbelievable". He described how lucky he was to have a chance with a woman like her.

Penny chose to ignore the tears she was currently blinking back. _Who cried at a thank you letter for sex?_ Despite her embarrassment, she folded the pages back into the envelope and headed into her bedroom. Opening the bottom drawer of her nightstand, she tucked the envelope away safely, refusing to just throw it away but also unsure of where exactly to put it.

Standing up again, Penny's smile had grown, turning on her heel and walking back out into the living room and for her front door. _Maybe what she needed right now, instead of wine and a bubble bath, was Leonard, _her smile turned mischievous as she opened the door, _or all three._

* * *

"Here."

Penny's head snapped up as Leonard sat down beside her on the bed. She had been lost in her thoughts, rethinking over her current situation and trying her hardest not to break down again like the night before. She had barely noticed Leonard enter her room.

Creases appeared across her forehead as she stared at the object he was holding out for her. "What is it?" she asked.

"It's a plane ticket. For you to go home and see your family."

"What?" Her eyes shot up to meet his.

"You were upset last night about not having enough money to fly back home and visit this year, so I stopped by and purchased one for you today," he explained, stretching his hand towards her more, "here," he repeated after she continued to stare up at him.

"Why?" she questioned, still confused.

Leonard shrugged, nonchalantly, "I just wanted to see you happy."

Suddenly, she was on her feet, her lips on his and her arms thrown around his neck. Once separated, Penny began to kiss his cheeks. "Thank you!" Another kiss. "Thank you!" Another kiss.

Grinning, Leonard chuckled at her excitement, "You're welcome. Now, I think dinner is ready across the hall. The guys are waiting."

Penny smiled and withdrew her arms from around him, "I'll be right over."

With one last kiss, she watched Leonard leave the room and her eyes dropped to the ticket in her hands. She couldn't help the smile that lit up her face. _No one has ever done anything this sweet for me. _With that thought in mind, Penny knew she once she had arrived back from Nebraska next week, this ticket would not be going in the trash.

* * *

"No, I'm on my way, I promise!" Penny spoke into the phone. She hurried out of the double doors of her apartment complex in her uniform, phone balanced between her right ear and shoulder. Jogging down the street towards her car she finally rushed her boss off the phone, verifying once again that she was leaving.

Pocketing the phone and checking the time on her watch, Penny reached her car. Keys in hand, she was prepared to unlock her door and climb in when something caught her eyes. On her windshield, pinned beneath her windshield wiper, sat a small red rose.

Carefully lifting up the wiper and sliding the rose out, Penny beamed. This had to be Leonard's doing. Once she noticed the small note there too, with the words "Have a great day, love bug!" written on it, Penny had her answer. She lifted the rose to her nose and inhaled, her smile growing at the smell and the image of her boyfriend coming to mind. She thought of the box she had had to upgrade to instead of her bottom drawer, filled with different items from the past six months. This would definitely be going in there.

* * *

"Balls, balls, balls."

Down on her knees, Penny rummaged through the bottom cabinet in her bathroom, "I know I threw it back here somewhere." Just earlier that day, Penny had sat on her commode, a pregnancy test in hand, waiting on an answer. Mother Nature had not paid her a visit for the past several weeks and she was extremely freaked out. The three knocks at her door had startled her and she panicked, forgetting Sheldon had been coming over for spaghetti again. She had quickly thrown the test in her cabinet somewhere before getting to see an answer. Throughout the entire dinner, Penny had plastered a fake smile on, trying to pay attention to her guest and keep her mind from traveling back to the stick that could possibly change her life forever.

"Aha!" Penny shouted, grabbing at the object and straightening back up. Her eyes searched the test for her answer. Sighing with relief as she realized it was negative. She was definitely not ready to become a parent, a single parent at that. Frowning, Penny knew deep down if she had truly been pregnant, Leonard would have been there for her no matter what, being the amazing father she knew he would be for some kid one day.

_Not mine though._

Her frown stretched further, staring down at the test in her hands. It was true. They were over, thanks to her foolishness. Now Leonard had the opportunity to pursue a relationship with somebody else. Maybe even get married and have kids within the next few years.

Suddenly angry at the thought, Penny threw the pregnancy test into her empty trash can, hitting the bottom with a thud. Fighting back tears, she turned and exited the room, heading towards her kitchen. Once there, she instantly went to her cupboards, searching for a clean wine glass, ready to drown her troubles. Unable to find one, she slammed the cupboard shut, groaning and glaring at the dirty pile of dishes in her sink.

Sitting down at a barstool, Penny held her head in her hands, mumbling, "If he wants to have a family with someone else, that's fine." Even as the silly, immature words left her mouth, an image of what their kids might look like appeared in her mind. She shook her head clear, reminding herself that she was not ready for a child, emotionally or financially. Instead, her mind flashed back to that night, the last night they had been together in bed, the passion that they had shared. Things had been rushed, protection had been forgotten, but it had still been an amazing night. Their last night. The night he had uttered those three words that she just couldn't find an answer to.

Penny stood, reaching into a cupboard again, a different one, and grabbed a small clear baggie. Walking back into the bathroom, she collected the pregnancy stick out of the trash can and placed it into the baggie. It may be gross or weird, but she wanted to keep it, _needed_ to keep it. The hickey left on her neck that night had long ago faded, the sheets had been washed, this really was the only thing she had left from their night together, besides her haunting memories.

Once in her bedroom, Penny stood on her tiptoes and slid a box down from the shelf in her closet. Placing it gently on the bed, she sat next to it, examining the contents. Her eyes took in the envelope containing the eleven page thank you letter, the plane ticket, the now dried and flattened rose, along with various other mementos, like movie stubs and dinner receipts that she had stolen from Leonard when he wasn't looking. She pushed one of his inhalers to the side, making more room. As she dropped the baggie into the box to join the them, Penny couldn't fight back the tears any longer.

* * *

Fluffing up the pillow behind her, Penny relaxed back onto the mattress. She doubted she'd get any sleep. She had just said goodbye to her boyfriend for the next four months, how could anyone sleep?

_Four months!_

Sighing, she checked the app on her iPhone she had downloaded the day before telling her the time difference between her and Leonard. She was counting down the hours until she could call him, even if it meant little to no sleep.

She contemplated dragging her 'Leonard box' down from her closet, but knew it would only cause her more pain to look at all the little memories of Leonard and her. She closed her eyes, her hand reaching up to touch the golden heart hanging from her neck. Smiling for the first time that day, her eyes opened and found the snowflake sitting on her nightstand beside her. _Some things just didn't belong in the box._

* * *

Crouching close to the floor, Penny dug in her pocket finally finding what she was looking for. She slid the receipt into the cardboard box in front of her, so thankful that her parents had agreed to help her out so she could afford to do this.

She took just a few minutes to rummage through the box, smiling at every memory collected, before returning it to the closet. Still crouched on the floor, Penny reached next to her, picking up the small, velvet, black box. Smiling, she popped the lid open. She couldn't wait for tonight.


End file.
